Spider-Man is one of my favorite characters in just about every medium I see him in. He’s an everyman who worked his way up in the world through his own merits and beliefs. Naturally, his life as Peter Parker isn’t as glamorous but he wasn’t just a disguise that Spider-Man would wear; they were in fact one and the same. He’s even faced events that would drive many people insane from all of the traumas that he faced. The signature motto “With Great Power must come Great Responsibility” is even ever so relevant today. The character is so popular that even his name is spread around the most in spin-offs. Series like the original Spider-Man 2099, Spider-Man Noir, and Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows make the character shine through both identities; as well as displaying what could have happen if not for status quos.
Unfortunately, like most long-running characters with a series; there is the issue of having the same old story told so many times it loses its once great value. The usual Spider-Man story involves Peter Parker going through life; only for it to take a back seat when Spider-Man swings into action. After his time as photographer working for the Daily Bugle ends; he goes on a journey where situations force Peter to change and grow.
Notable Events
Peter becomes a scientist working at a lab while still in the process of getting his doctorate. He has his body taken over by one of his greatest enemies (Dr. Octopus) and gains a company from that same rival. Later his company became a tech conglomerate (cuz of a couple of reality warpers). Most exciting of all; he lead bands of Spider-Men against reality hopping energy vampires.
…Among Piles of Mediocrity
However, it became apparent that none of these hold as Spider-Man is still in the spotlight. With the ‘fight the bad guy’ formulas taking over, Peter Parker really becomes Spider-Man’s mask. The recent Spider-Man comics show Spider-Man as a playful joker in Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man comics; but fans call this out as being too similar to Deadpool. On a related note, the Spider-Man/Deadpool comic series is a roller coaster ride. Convoluted plots that seem well but has ever changing moods that get in the way of good storytelling.
Spider-Man Label Branching Out
Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows brings the concept that the mainline comics never can; highlighting Peter and Mary Jane as parents as well as how family goes out of its way to help each other. However, after Gerry Conway leaves as writer things started to go downhill for the series. Like the main comics, it highlights the Spider family’s battles rather than the family itself. Old storylines repeat with the Green Goblin and the Lizard. By the time Annie May Parker (Spiderling) enters high school, she’s just repeating some of Spider-Girl “Mayday” Parker’s adventures.
Web of Messes
The other Spider-Man, Miles Morales isn’t doing much better. When his creator Brian Michael Bendis was leaving Marvel, his final arcs with Miles feel rushed and underdeveloped. Thankfully Miles is in the capable hands of Saladin Ahmed. Spider-Gwen also rushes with familiar plot lines after a botched overzealous crossover with Miles. The introduction of the Venom symbiote makes for a cool concept; highlighting her tension with her world’s Kingpin (Matt Murdock). The story feels like something ready to explode and affect everyone around her in a bad way. However, the payoff is lackluster and ends up being more similar to Spider-Man: Back in Black. And don’t even get me started on Ben Reilly: The Scarlet Spider. The character has become a complete parody of himself and Parker with his worst parts exaggerated.
Can you read the text in the picture below?
…on some Real Progress
In fact the best issue that comes out of the initial Spectacular Spider-Man run is Spider-Man’s interaction with J. Jonah Jameson; highlighting the relationship between the characters while noting their actual motivations as well as a reason to live. After that, the comic just gets better with Peter now having a good working relationship with Jameson. Finally some progress after 50 years. The writer Chip Zdarsky goes up the Marvel ladder since then.
For that matter; Dan Slott’s final arc with the Amazing Spider-Man comics “Go Down Swinging” is not a simple hero vs. villain showdown. It is about Peter Parker regaining his footing outside of his costume with his relationships. Norman Osborne has also went through a transformation from a regular Spider-Man villain struggling to regain his former power into a horrifying threat.
Spider-Man Zeitgeist Resurgence
Even Spider-Man: Homecoming and Insomniac’s Spider-Man game highlights that everybody knows Spider-Man and his rogue’s gallery; there’s no need to introduce them over and over again. They even bring up that neither Parker or Web Head are just masks in the same body. They’re two parts of the same person. Peter Parker doesn’t need to be the down on his luck loser everyone knows he was, he’s grown since then. If and anything, the comics should focus more on Peter’s life outside of Spider-Man rather than just jump from one adventure to another.
Spider-Man’s New Creative Teams
Well it looks like people got what they want and some things they didn’t want. Nick Spencer skillfully takes advantage of Peter’s unique situation by stripping his doctorate while being backed into a corner. He also got back into a relationship with Mary Jane (for the umpteenth time).
Unfortunately, for everything right there were equally wrong things. In the first small arc where Peter and Spider-Man split up because of some MacGuffin; it shows a fun and campy style that was missed from some series. It also has a deeper meaning that Spider-Man needs Peter Parker as he lacks the same responsibilities without him. However it once again glorifies Spider-Man while leaving Peter a wreck.
Still Nick Spencer showed that despite his shortcomings, he can still make a good story by focusing on the humorous and endearing characters rather than the spectacles and drama. In fact in just the first chapter, Peter is actually rooming with a character made famous by Nick in Superior Foes of Spider-Man, Boomerang.
Wasting no time after that whole split from Spider-Man’s adventures, Nick has Boomerang come out of the closest. But rather than just make it a usual superhero romp about morals and standards; the characters are portrayed as playing off one another. The hilarious situations they find themselves in such as the bar full of super villains is full of charm.
Intertwining Webs
Miles meanwhile is getting a fine part in Champions, Marvel’s newest take on young heroes striking out on their own. His solo series since Bendis left Marvel, by Saladin Ahmed also keeps him in the limelight. Not to mention thanks to the Edge of the Spider-Verse movie Miles got the recognition and differentiation from Peter he deserves.
If only the other Spider related stuff would do so well. Spider-Geddon started off kind of interesting with Doc Ock back as the Superior Spider-Man. Yet it’s little more than trying to recreate the Spider-Verse event. The only thing that’s different is that the Spiders across reality are divided on whether to kill the Inheritors or re-contain them; ergo a Spider-Man Civil War that serves as a distraction to the real threat. Most of the time, it’s a bunch of arguing and poking fun at tropes like finishing battles with a giant robot’s super weapons at the start. Much like Nick Spencer’s little hick-up, it’s just using nostalgia and brands to make money. Hasn’t Marvel learned from Civil War II and Return to Planet Hulk not to do stuff like that?
But at the very least, the Edge of Spider-Geddon series introduced some interesting new Spider-Men like the duo of Peter and Uncle Been as superhero partners. I hope the rest of the spiders better themselves after Spider-Geddon. Spider-Gwen… uh… Ghost Spider is doing rather average right now. It also looks like Spider-Man’s down to earth adventures will be in the Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man series. What a guy can’t be amazing and like the regular stuff. Marvel editors, you are killing me.
Thanks for coming and remember to look between the panels.